sports
SPORTS SPOTLIGHT by Jonny McLeod
motor racing
in the raw
A1 GP rolls into Shanghai
n the modern sporting climate of big money contracts,
franchises and celebrity, notions of patriotism, parity,
inclusion and developing countries would seem to...
More
sports
SPORTS SPOTLIGHT by Jonny McLeod
motor racing
in the raw
A1 GP rolls into Shanghai
n the modern sporting climate of big money contracts,
franchises and celebrity, notions of patriotism, parity,
inclusion and developing countries would seem to hold little
purchase, least of all in motor sport.
Not so.
Organizers of the
A1 Grand Prix (A1 GP), the “world cup of motor sport”, have an
altogether different approach, one that is refreshing to see.
Despite being in only its third season, the A1’s 11-round series gathers teams from 23 countries, from the US to Lebanon,
for a competition that admittedly heats up national rivalries
but also extends to loftier goals, shall we say.
David Clare, A1 GP’s chief operating officer, says one of
the event’s aims is to provide a catalyst for the development
of motor sport in non-traditional markets.
Why? “Because
that’s where the population centers are,” he explains, adding
that limits on team spending and technology have
Less